Your Drink

If you follow me on twitter[1] you probably know that I was recently freaking out about the Angostura bitters shortage which was being written about in several[2]places[3]. My fear wasn’t that the shortage would effect the Manhattan or Old Fashioned I like to drink. I was worried it would effect something much more serious: Your Drink.

The your here refers to Bryan and it is the drink he introduced me to years ago. He would make it for himself all of the time and eventually I was asking for it myself. Can I have Your Drink?
This simple combination of water, bitters and lime juice is somehow immensely satisfying. It has become the soft drink of choice in our house. We think it pairs well with practically any food. It is easily customizable and exists in our house in various forms. Sometimes the water is sparkling, sometimes flat. Sometimes we use fresh lime juice, sometimes we use that little green plastic lime bottle. You could even add a tiny bit of simple syrup if you want it to be sweet, but we would never do that— Bryan would not approve.
I called Bryan at work to tell him about the Angostura shortage and he immediately went out to buy more bottles of bitters. After unsuccessful attempts at a couple of stores he found a few bottles at a liquor store near his work and asked the salesperson if they new about the shortage. They didn’t and assured him they had lots more in back. But better safe than sorry, this stuff has a very special place in our home.

Recently I read somewhere that this drink has a name, but I can’t find it again. I’m hoping one of you can tell me. I think it had something to do with a pastor or a Presbyterian. For more on bitters try this[4].
Writing a recipe for this doesn’t make much sense because it is more of a technique, and you should vary the proportions to suit your taste.

Your Drink

Ice

Sparkling/mineral water (or still)

Angostura Bitters

Lime (or lemon)

Simple Syrup (optional)

Fill glass with ice and water. Add a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice and a few dashes of bitters. Stir to combine. Enjoy.